BBBB.5
(out of 5)
Terrific family drama, with Paul Newman as a construction worker who abandoned wife and kids decades earlier when life got too complicated for him. Now he lives blocks away from his family in a rooming house with an old lady (Jessica Tandy) who believes that he still might one day live up to his potential. The cast is uniformly brilliant, and Robert Benton’s direction is backed up by his fantastic script about this small town where everyone lives a big life in a small way, where no one is a hero or a villain but people muddle through as best they can. Melanie Griffith has a wonderful supporting role as the girl who was once the town beauty and is now unhappily married to the head of the construction company (Bruce Willis) who can’t be bothered with her.
Capella International, Cinehaus, Paramount Pictures
USA, 1994
Directed by Robert Benton
Screenplay by Robert Benton, based on the novel by Richard Russo
Cinematography by John Bailey
Produced by Arlene Donovan, Scott Rudin
Music by Howard Shore
Production Design by David Gropman
Costume Design by Joseph G. Aulisi
Film Editing by John Bloom
New York Film Critics Awards 1994.
Academy Award Nominations
Best Actor in a Leading Role (Paul Newman as “Sully”)
Best Writing (Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published) (Robert Benton)
Golden Globe Award Nomination
Best Performance By An Actor in a Motion Picture-Drama (Paul Newman)
